Starching-machine.



PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

W. H. H. TRACY.

STARCHING MACHINE.

V APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.1906. A

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' /A/VE/VTO ATTORNEYS THE NoRRls PETERS co., wAsHmcwN, n. c.

No. 879,926. PATBNTED PEB.25.1908.

W. H. H. TRACY. v

STARGHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29.1906. v l

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1HE MORRIS PEN-:R5 C0., WASHINGTON n C No. 879,926. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

W. H. ETRAGY. STARCHING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 29,1906. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 70p 'mi l 7 f l l mmLlLLumlu y 7 y W/TNESSES INV NTOH 7% a fmM/M y ATTORNEYS 1m: NoRms PETERS co.. wAsmomraN, u4 c.

l each other as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

WILLIAM H. H. TRACY, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

STARCHING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1 908.

Application filed Julie 29. 1906. Serial No. 323.972.

To all whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM H. H. TRACY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Troy, Rensselaer county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starching-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for starching collars and cuffs and the like, and has for its object to improve the operation and construction thereof.

My invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompany# ing drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof Fig. 3 is a cross section theree of on line 3 3 of Fig, 2; Fig. 4 is a detail of construction for maintaining the belts in their true path which may be used in connection with my invention and Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of certain parts of my machine.

1 is the frame of the machine and 2 is the tank which contains the starching mixture, 3 are standards for supporting the feed rollers 4, 5, 6 and 7. The upper rollers 4 and 6 are journaled in blocks 8 which are adjustable up and down the standards 3, by means of the screws 9, so that the distance between the rollers 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 may be in creased or diminished as desired.

10 is a swinging frame pivoted at 11 to lugs or supports 12 on the frame 1. On this frame 10 are journaled rollers 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 2O over which passes the endless belt 21. A similar endless belt 22 passes over rollers 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, also carried by the swinging frame 10. The belts 21 and 22 both pass over the rollers 24, 20, 25, 19, 26 and 18 in close proximity to The rollers 28 and 29 are journaled on a member 30 pivoted at 31 to the frame 10 and having a handle 32. This member 30 is provided with an extension 33 having a curved slot 34 through which extends a screw-threaded stud 35 secured to the frame 10 and adapted to receive the thumb screw 36. By swinging the member 30 on its pivot 31 in one direction or the other, the belt 22 may be adjusted so as to loosen or tighten said belt. The member 30 may be secured in its adjusted position by means of the screw 36.

The roller 27 is j ournaled on lugs 27 a forming part of the frame 10. The belt 21 also passes over a roller 37 journaled on an arm 38 pivoted at 39 to the frame 1 of the machine, and having a member 40 with a curved slot 41, through which extends a screw-threaded stud 42, on the frame 1 which stud is adapted to receive the thumb-screw 43. By swinging this arm 38 on the pivot the tension of the belt 21 may be adjusted and the arm 38 may be secured in position by means of the thumb-screw 43.

Supports 44 are secured to the frame 1 and carry rollers 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49 over and under which passes the endless belt 50. Opposite the point where the belt 50 passes under the roller 46 is located another roller 51, also journaled on the supports 44, so that at this point the belt 50 passes between the rollers 46 and 51. The rollers 45, 47 and 49 are journaled on blocks 52 movable in slots 53 and controlled by screws 54 so that the position of these blocks 52 may be varied to adjust the tension of the belt 50. The roller 46 is also journaled on blocks 55 movable in slots 56 and controlled by screws 57. With this arrangement the distance between the ,rollers 46 and 51 may be varied so that the pressure on the belt at this point may be increased or diminished at will. Another endless belt 58 passes over rollers 59 and 60, carried by the frame 1 of the machine and over a roller 61 carried by blocks 62 movable in slots 63 in the supports 44. Screws 64 control the position of the blocks 62 so that the position of the roller 61 may be varied. The roller is adjustable by means of screws 65 in conjunction with the blocks 66 which move in the slots 67 of the supports 68. By this means the tension of the belt 58 may be adjusted as desired. An adjustable roller 59a is located below the roller 59 so that the belt 58 passesbetween the rollers 59 and 59at and is squeezed at this point to remove any starching mixture which may adhere to said belt 58. A pan 59b is located beneath these rollers 59 and 59a to catch the drippings. This pan may be a continuation of the trough or tank 2 and may be inclined so that the drippings will be returned to the tank 2 or it may be a separate pan as desired. The two belts 50 and 58 pass over the rollers 48, 49 and 61, with their two surfaces adjacent to each other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

69 is a belt pulley carried by a shaft 69a, suitably journaled on the frame 1 of the machine to which power is applied by means of the belt 70. On the shaft 69ais located a pinion 71 which meshes with a gear 72 secured to same shaft which carries the roller 16.

The gear 72 in turn meshes with another gear 72ZL located on the shaft which carries the roller 27, and also engages a pinion 72b which in turn meshes with a gear 73 secured to rotate with the roller 59. On the opposite side of the machine on the shaft of t e roller 59 is located a gear 74 which meshes with a gear 75 secured to the shaft of -j the roller 48. A sprocket chain 76 passes over a sprocket wheel on the shaft of the roller 59 and over a sprocket Wheel 77 located on the shaft of the roller 7. This shaft also carries a pinion 7 8,`which meshes with a pinion 79 journaled in a suitable bearing between the standards 3 and in turn meshing with a pinion 80 secured to rotate with the roller 5. Sprocket wheels 81 and 82 are secured to the shafts of the roller 48 and 51 and connected by means of a sprocket chain 83.

A drip pan 84 is secured in position on the support 44 beneath the roller 51 for the purpose to be more clearly described hereinafter.

The machine is driven in the following manner. Power is applied to the belt 7 O which rotates pulley 69 and the pinion 71; this in turn drives the gears 72 and 7 2a thus driving the belts 21 and 22. In driving the gear 72, the pinion 7 2b, the gear 73 and the roller 59 are also rotated and the belt 58 is thus driven, while at the same time the gear 74 on the opposite side, see Fig. 2, rotates the gear 75 and the roller 48 thus drivin the belt 50. As the roller 48 is rotate the sprocket wheel 81 is also rotated, which through the medium of the sprocket wheel 82 and chain 83 rotates the roller 51. The rollers 5 and 7 are revolved by means of the gears 78, 80, the pinion 79, the sprocket wheel 77 and the sprocket chain 7 6 which receives the ower from the sprocket wheel located on t e shaft of the roller 59.`

In operation, the frame 10 with the various rollers and belts is swung on its pivot 11 so as to have the tank 2 free. The starching mixture is then introduced into said tank 2 after which the frame 10 is returned to the osition shown in Fig. 2. The collars, cu s or like articles are introduced' between the rollers 4, 5, and by' them fed to the rollers 6, 7. From these rollers 6, 7, the articles pass to the belt 21 where it passes around the roller 13, and are carried along between the belts 21 and 22, through the starching mixture. The articles thus become saturated with said mixture by the time the point where the roller 18 is located is reached. The said articles are then carried along on the upper surface of the belt 21 and are deposited on the belt 58. From this point the said articles are fed between the belts 58 and 50 and are squeezed, so that the superiuous starching mixture is pressed therefrom. After having been squeezed or pressed the articles are carried along by the belt 58 and either taken off by an operator or deposited on a shelf or table from which they are taken and hung up to dry after which the said articles are ironed in the customary manner. Any superiiuous starching mixture is thus wiped or squeezed from the articles and is deposited on the surfaces of the belts 50 and 58 and is squeezed from the belt 50 by the roller 51 from which it drips into the pan 84. A similar pan may also be located beneath the belt 58 so as to catch the drippings therefrom.

-With my device, the articles are automatically starched and wiped or squeezed, so that a great deal of labor is done away with and it is only necessary to have an operator to remove the articles from the machine and hang them up to dry.

ln Fig. 4 I have shown a device for maintaining the belts in proper position on the various rollers, all of which rollers, if desired',

may be supplied with the mechanism I about to describe. 85 is an arm pivoted at 86 to the frame 10 and having its ends adj acent to the two members 30. A projecting rod 87 forms part of or is secured to said arm 85 and is adjustably connected at 88 with 'a transversely extending member 89. This member 89 is provided at each end with a shoe 90 which engages an edge of the belt to which the mechanism is applied. Thus if the said belt moves out of its true path or along one of the rollers, said beltwill move one or the other of the shoes 9()` and will swing the arm 85 on its pivot 86. This will cause one of the ends of said arm to engage one of the members 30 and move it on its l pivot 31 and thus lower the one end of the roller which it carries. This lowering of the one end of the roller will cause the belt to ride down on it so that the arm 85 is returned to its initial position through the medium of the mechanism just described and the belts again run true. The tank 2 may be provided with a steam jacket for ,keeping the starching mixture hot or said mixture may be maintained in its heated condition in any other suitable manner.

I claim: 1. A machine for treating articles with liquids, comprising a tank, two belts arranged in contact with each other for a portion of their length and dipping into said tank, means for feeding the articles to said belts, another set of belts arranged in contact with each other and adapted to receive the articles between them after their passage through the tank and to press the excess of liquid therefrom, and mechanism for driving the belts.

2. AA machine for treating articles with liquids, comprising a tank, two belts arranged in contact with each other for a portion of their length and dipping into said tank, means for feeding the articles to said belts, another set of belts arranged to receive the articles after their passage through the tank and to press the excess of liquid therefrom, a device for removing from one of the last named belts, the adhering liquid 'it has removed from the articles, and mechanism for driving the belts.

3. A machine for treating articles with liquids, comprising a tank, two belts arranged in contact with each other for a portion of their length and dipping into said tank, said belts being adapted to feed the articles under treatment, another set of belts arranged in receiving relation to the discharge portion of the first named belts, the belts of said second set being also in engagement with each other for a portion of their length, and squeezing means engaging one of the belts of the second set, at a portion where it is out of contact with the other belt.

4. A machine for treating articles with liquids, comprising a tank, a traveling con- .1 veyer for passing the articles through the tank, a squeezing device arranged outside of the tank for removing the excess of liquid from the articles after their passage through the tank, and means for freeing the squeezing device from the liquid adhering thereto.

5. A machine for treating articles with liquids, comprising a traveling conveyer for the articles, means for applying a liquid to the traveling articles, a squeezing device for removing the excess of liquid from the articles, and rotary means for freeing the squeezing device from the liquid adhering thereto.

6. A machine for treating articles with liquids, comprising a tank, a swinging frame normally dipping into the tank but capable of being swung aside, a traveling conveyer carried by said frame, a squeezing device for removing the excess of liquid from the articles after their passage from the tank, and rotary means for freeing the squeezing device from the liquid adhering thereto.

InA testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. H. TRACY.

Witnesses:

' JOI-IN LoTKA,

JOHN A. KEHLENBECK. 

